Boat drag strip

[Hass828]

What is keeping someone from buying a couple hundred acres and getting a large dozer and building a purpose built boat drag strip and runnig a weakly program just like the ones for cars? Could still let the santioned guys lease the place to run large events. Raise cattle in the off season, seams like it could be a money maker if ran properly. Wouldnt you guys love to have a strip with steel canopies to park your boats under , with elect. and water, all within 100 miles of were you live so you could run your boat any weekend like the car guys do ?

[hang tight]

What is keeping someone from buying a couple hundred acres and getting a large dozer and building a purpose built boat drag strip and runnig a weakly program just like the ones for cars? Could still let the santioned guys lease the place to run large events. Raise cattle in the off season, seams like it could be a money maker if ran properly. Wouldnt you guys love to have a strip with steel canopies to park your boats under , with elect. and water, all within 100 miles of were you live so you could run your boat any weekend like the car guys do ?
Harold Bruce tried it years ago and hit all kind of red tape, City wants the people for business but they don't know who owns what or who controls what. Normal city stuff.
He has the blue prints for it. Just be came a huge headache and very time consuming.
It was a very nice layout. and still is a great idea. So if anyone else wants to try it I'm sure he'll help you where he can.

[BUSBY]

that's a great idea ... want to invest out here in So-Cal?
Unfortunately, even if we went way out into no-mans land ... the real estate is so expensive that it doesn't make sense out here ...
There is rumor of a new facility opening up in Southern California that will have a 1 mile watersports venue ... that would change everything.
I think you could do it in Oklahoma ... my mother & stepdad live in Duncan ... I think something near Ardmore right off I-35 would be a moneymaker!

[GAWnCA]

Harold Bruce tried it years ago and hit all kind of red tape, City wants the people for business but they don't know who owns what or who controls what. Normal city stuff.
He has the blue prints for it. Just be came a huge headache and very time consuming.
It was a very nice layout. and still is a great idea. So if anyone else wants to try it I'm sure he'll help you where he can.
I might be interested in something like that for the Kansas City area. How can I get more info?

[roostwear]

I've got the acreage, but it's not in SoCal, and it's at 5200 feet. Actually, it's in the middle of nowhere amidst the cows and the Mormons. Wouldn't THAT piss 'em off....:D

[BUSBY]

unfortunately, a bit too far away from us to play on a regular basis :(

[tx-19]

you can buy property by me here in wittmann,az real cheap.all flat land 2 hours from the river.they also have a car drag strip out here called speed world.

[Hass828]

that's a great idea ... want to invest out here in So-Cal?
Unfortunately, even if we went way out into no-mans land ... the real estate is so expensive that it doesn't make sense out here ...
There is rumor of a new facility opening up in Southern California that will have a 1 mile watersports venue ... that would change everything.
I think you could do it in Oklahoma ... my mother & stepdad live in Duncan ... I think something near Ardmore right off I-35 would be a moneymaker!
How about that my dad was raised in Duncan. I live about 30 miles east of Ardmore, and I agree that Ardmore would be a prime spot as its right between Oklahoma city and Dallas and has I-35 going right through there. Other than my boat I also have a little 9 second street-drag car and when I decide to go to the strip to race the car I can drive 100 miles any direction and there's a strip. Ardmore is the closest at 30 miles. Sure makes me wish that boat racing was setup the same way then maybe more peeps could afford to race and it wouldnt require all of the long traveling and expenses that go along with that. I have good friends that have traveled halfway across the US just to blow up in the first round. Thats got to suck. They just shrug there shoulders and say "thats racing" , what I'm getting at is it shouldnt be that way.

[Hass828]

I might be interested in something like that for the Kansas City area. How can I get more info?
You'd have to have enough property for the track and all of the parking and it would need to have the track far away from any homes because I've seen a drag srip get shut down for good because of the noise, and it was there before the homes were. I've seen a few real ingenius people build there strips next to railroad tracks, that land can usually be had at a bargain and nobody can say anything about the noise unless they also quiet the trains:D

[1 fast okie]

There Are Some Guys In Texas That Are Allready Doing This. I Talked To Them At The Plowman Creek Get To Gather In Oct Of 2006 They Had Built The Track Canal And They Were Suppose To Be Putting The Rock And Concrete In This Year. You Can Probably Get Some Up Dates By Getting In Touch With Chop On Youngbloodjetboats.com

[Hass828]

There Are Some Guys In Texas That Are Allready Doing This. I Talked To Them At The Plowman Creek Get To Gather In Oct Of 2006 They Had Built The Track Canal And They Were Suppose To Be Putting The Rock And Concrete In This Year. You Can Probably Get Some Up Dates By Getting In Touch With Chop On Youngbloodjetboats.com
Thanks fast Okie, I'll get in touch with him and find out the details, that would be close to me. I shot you a pm

[Wizard612]

Hey guys it's been done! Look at Firebird Lake outside of Phoenix. Piece of Desert on Indian land they turned into a great venue. In fact the lake went in before the drag strip. The lake is big enough for drags and Circles, the bank profile was designed to reduce wakes, there is a launch and recovery area separate from the track. Try other tribes and get them to invest some land, develope a casino next door and before you know it 300 boats a weekend will ruin it for guys like us...

[Hass828]

Hey guys it's been done! Look at Firebird Lake outside of Phoenix. Piece of Desert on Indian land they turned into a great venue. In fact the lake went in before the drag strip. The lake is big enough for drags and Circles, the bank profile was designed to reduce wakes, there is a launch and recovery area separate from the track. Try other tribes and get them to invest some land, develope a casino next door and before you know it 300 boats a weekend will ruin it for guys like us...
Do they run unsanctioned events there weekly?

[Wizard612]

I have no idea havent been there in quite a while but I hear that track is still there still opperating and car drags are still on site and very popular. checkout firebirdraceway.com

[Hass828]

I have no idea havent been there in quite a while but I hear that track is still there still opperating and car drags are still on site and very popular. checkout firebirdraceway.com
The sanctioning seams to be the common donominator in boat and auto drags that causes the entries to be so expensive. I took my old tx 20 to Sand springs TX and ran it at a test and tune day, It was sanctioned and by the time I payed all of their bull sh-t it cost the hell out of me just to see what my boat would run on the clocks. If you go to a locally owned auto drag strip, thats not sanctioned, its much less expensive and the tech inspections are usually a little bit more lax.

[RCB19]

What we really need is a setup like Firebird in AZ. All types of racing there.

[cruser]

Firebird does not allow a non-santioned boat drage race. They do however run Friday night drags most weeks. Going tomorrow to shake out a friends Firebird.

[Unchained]

The most successful weekly racing and that has gone on since the 70s' has been at Blarney Island in northern Illinois.
It only cost $ 20 to race. For me they put me in the Open class and gave me $ 50 just for showing up :D . They make their money on the huge party that it ends up becoming every thursday night. There's a DJ and a dance floor and drunken partyers everywhere. Hundreds of spectator boats show up and even a couple choppers. It's all on a bunch of rickety docks in the middle of a muddy shallow lake.
There are no timing lights and no specific course length so guys who came from the west coast wouldn't like it. They have a starter in a pontoon boat who hits a green light once the boats are on plane and paired up.
They have produced some real fast racers like Donnie Little who won the SITC a few years ago.
I tried to set up something similar in Michigan a couple years ago.
It was in front of a bar on the river so serving alcohol was ok.
It takes a lot of work that may never pay off.
Even if it did get going how long is someone going to want to set up and put on the show every week for free and then have some racers bitch you out anyways. We discussed it a lot on the www.michigan***boats.com message board.
Look up "Allendale Mi.Boat drags".
As with any new ideas there were those who wanted to help out and those who went to great lengths to shoot it down before it ever got off the ground.
Guess who ?

[Hass828]

As with any new ideas there were those who wanted to help out and those who went to great lengths to shoot it down before it ever got off the ground.
Guess who ?
DRAGQUEEN

[Hass828]

Mark, you'd have to own the property and look at it from a money makeing perspective. You have to control the concession-food-beer, charge for pit side parking and spectator side parking and I dont know about you but I'd be fine with a 50-75$ entry fee with a purse paying into the quarters. That pretty much how they do it at the car drags. Youd never have to resurface the track like they have to do either :)

[old rigger]

Here in so cal your free to rent what used to be the home of drag boat racing, Marine Stadium...right behind Bako, from the city and do with it what you please. As long as you comply to the rules they lay down. ;)
Ski Land was the last great privately owned body of water that held races, it was open until what...the mid to late 80's? I can remember my last trip there was in '82 I think. Is that property all developed now? I haven't been there in years.

[mcderns]

Like Unchained said, Blarney Island! I run there every week. Its a blast. Its not sanctioned, and not timed. Its like street racing on the water. We do have all the safety and everything like the rest of the races, dive teams, recovery boats etc. We run back to back, and you cant pull your boat out of the water, or even make changes between rounds. Its truly run what you brung. If your ever in the Chicagoland area over the summer, come check it out!

[jetboatperformance]

Mile long lake with steel canopies Kind of sounds like Ming :idea:
Hey Brian whats the word are they going to drain and dredge it ? or is that just a rumor? Tom

[Placecraft Dragstar]

mark mark mark
That is what you wanted to do for a race,
1) no lights
2) no saftey boat or equipment
3) no holding rope
4) boat ramp wayyyy up river
5) like a 4 mph current in river ( could be fine with proper equipment )
6) starting line under a bridge that was small and concrete
7) river WAY TO NARROW!!!!!!
8) plus trees growing into it on the sides bad
9) river had a dog leg in it bad for shut down
10) way to short of course
and the list goes on
Why dont you post a picture so everyone here can see for themselves so you can not just sit there and say that its just me?
You tried but had no interest it was not just me, you even tried on scream and fly.
You tried twice to meet people there and the first time 2 people showed up and left cause you did not show and the second time only you showed up so
draw your own conclusion.
They have produced some real fast racers like Donnie Little who won the SITC a few years ago. ( quote from unchained )
Blarney Island did not produce donnie little
Do you know what your problem is mark??
YOU ARE STUCK ON STUPID!!!!
If you want to spend time and money to have a boat race mark and hassclown828 this is the place, you can go to cloumbiaville MI where they use to have the drag boat races and put them on there. They would like for them to come back there but they need someone to come up with the $$$$$$$$ to do it. Nice place, lots of room,good boat ramps. No more excuses or pointing fingers now mark with a place like that. GET R DONE

[Cs19]

There are no timing lights and no specific course length so guys who came from the west coast wouldn't like it.
Guess who ?
Nice Mark, you just couldnt resist could you.
We race the crap out of our boats without lights at the river with no clocks.

[Nucking futs]

I drove by Ski land about 9 months ago and its still undeveloped. That would be rad to take the boat out say on a friday night and lay down some passes.

[GAWnCA]

You'd have to have enough property for the track and all of the parking and it would need to have the track far away from any homes because I've seen a drag srip get shut down for good because of the noise, and it was there before the homes were. I've seen a few real ingenius people build there strips next to railroad tracks, that land can usually be had at a bargain and nobody can say anything about the noise unless they also quiet the trains:D
What do you consider enough property? As for far away from housing, how about 3 miles to the nearest neighbor and 25 miles to the nearest town, St. Joseph and the Missouri River. There's also gambling there.

[sstjet]

Like Unchained said, Blarney Island! I run there every week. Its a blast. Its not sanctioned, and not timed. Its like street racing on the water. We do have all the safety and everything like the rest of the races, dive teams, recovery boats etc. We run back to back, and you cant pull your boat out of the water, or even make changes between rounds. Its truly run what you brung. If your ever in the Chicagoland area over the summer, come check it out!
Blarney is a blast and draws a huge crowd every week! Not much down time between races either.

[Unchained]

mark mark mark
That is what you wanted to do for a race,
1) no lights
True
2) no saftey boat or equipment
Not true, We had multiple volunteers with boats
3) no holding rope
True
4) boat ramp wayyyy up river
About 1 mile, same as at Blarneys
There was a boat ramp right in front of the bar but it needed some work There was a private ramp at the end of the course
5) like a 4 mph current in river ( could be fine with proper equipment )
True
6) starting line under a bridge that was small and concrete
Not true
7) river WAY TO NARROW!!!!!!
Not true, It was plenty wide.
8) plus trees growing into it on the sides bad
There were some trees to trim but not a deal breaker.
9) river had a dog leg in it bad for shut down
Over 1 mile down stream
10) way to short of course
Not true
and the list goes on
Enlighten me
Why dont you post a picture so everyone here can see for themselves so you can not just sit there and say that its just me?
Ok,
http://www.childsdale-ind-prop.com/allendaleracesite.jpg
We intended on taking off right at the bottom of the picture and running an 1/8 mi course which would have taken us just to the bar on the right side.
Detroit Jim and I probed the bottom for 1 mile down stream in April and it looked good.
You tried but had no interest it was not just me, you even tried on scream and fly.
You're right, looking back I should have just saved my efforts and gave up before I tried. Like you.
You tried twice to meet people there and the first time 2 people showed up and left cause you did not show and the second time only you showed up so
draw your own conclusion.
We had several guys meet there including the bar manager who already had the DNR permit.
They have produced some real fast racers like Donnie Little who won the SITC a few years ago. ( quote from unchained )
Blarney Island did not produce donnie little
Have you ever been to Blarney Island Scott ?
Have you ever RACED at Blarney Island ?
Do you know what your problem is mark??
YOU ARE STUCK ON STUPID!!!!
True, I've been stupid before.
If you want to spend time and money to have a boat race mark and hassclown828 this is the place, you can go to cloumbiaville MI where they use to have the drag boat races and put them on there. They would like for them to come back there but they need someone to come up with the $$$$$$$$ to do it. Nice place, lots of room,good boat ramps. No more excuses or pointing fingers now mark with a place like that. GET R DONE
Did you ever see the proposed race course in Allendale Scott ? I mean in person.
I never saw you there when the rest of us met but you had plenty of negative things to say about it. Must be ESP. :rolleyes:
None of this matters for you Scott because you never would have showed up to race anyways. If you had any interest in how to make it work you would have showed up at the meetings.
At the main meeting we had I showed up as a jet boater.
Detroit Jim showed up as a Vdrive racer.
All the rest were outboard racers.

[BUSBY]

Mile long lake with steel canopies Kind of sounds like Ming :idea:
Hey Brian whats the word are they going to drain and dredge it ? or is that just a rumor? Tom
rumor

[Hass828]

[QUOTE=Unchained;2943458][U]
Mark, that river doesnt look to small to me , and plenty of shut down, but of course I'm not chickensh-t like placecraft dragqueen. I'll run my fockin boat.

[BUSBY]

looks like good water to me :D
but then again, I'd try to skim my flip flops across a puddle if I thought I could find a race in it :)

[bigriverdog]

Here in so cal your free to rent what used to be the home of drag boat racing, Marine Stadium...right behind Bako, from the city and do with it what you please. As long as you comply to the rules they lay down. ;)
Ski Land was the last great privately owned body of water that held races, it was open until what...the mid to late 80's? I can remember my last trip there was in '82 I think. Is that property all developed now? I haven't been there in years.
Hey Old Rigger,
Most of these youngsters don't remember, but are you talking about the one in Perris CA off of the 215. I thought the Irmshire's had an interest in that one. It was an oval lake with 2 center islands to kill the wake. It worked pretty good, but I remember the bottom was clay that would stick to your feet like mexican sandals. I remember going to some races there and you could camp there when it was not being used for drags. That area is still a vacant field.

[flattie]

Make it happen & we will show up. It looks perfect! Dont get too technical with all the lights ect. Make it a run what you brung you will have better success. A fun event not all about a rigged game before it starts. Thats why Blarney Island works

[Hass828]

Make it happen & we will show up. It looks perfect! Dont get too technical with all the lights ect. Make it a run what you brung you will have better success. A fun event not all about a rigged game before it starts. Thats why Blarney Island works
Thats exactly what I'm talking about, no lights, no timeslips, no bullsh-t. Just pair the boats up by classes like our little outlaw races happen - split the classes buy hull type--with or without nos--blown---alky---ski boat class--unlimited jet----unlimited hydro. Just a starter on a pontoon with 2 flags to start with and a video camera for the finish. Street racing, except on water and you wont need a gun when you win just to get paid. I'm not looking to just get one strip started here, what I would like to see ultimately is the country littered with them like we are with the car drag strips.

[sanger rat]

For what it's worth here is the link to the Scream&Fly thread. http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99852&highlight=Allendale

[DetroitJim]

I'll come out and run at Allendale, it's plenty good to run as fast as anyone wants to. Yes, there is a lot of current in the spring but late summer and fall should be way less. Hell, we used to race at Quincy, Illinois on the Mississippi river! As far as safety, as long as everyone has a helmet and lifejacket, passes basic tech and we have a couple of boats in the water to keep an eye on things, should be no problems. Let's run 'em!
DJ

[Unchained]

Ottawa river drags !!! I have pictures and videos,
Jim's in the near boat, I think thats John Haas in the white hydro
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=45305&stc=1&d=1197775278
Detroit Jim running Donnie little, 122 mph in 1000'
Close
http://www.michigan***boats.com/images/ottawadrags03videos/ottawa03video1.MPG
They had timing lights that year.
After that they resorted to a pontoon boat out in the middle of the course between the lanes with a radar gun. :eek:
I remember once a barge came through that was as long as the entire race course so we figured he won because he covered the start and the finish line at the same time. :D

[1968Droptop]

Ottawa river drags !!!...............I remember once a barge came through that was as long as the entire race course so we figured he won because he covered the start and the finish line at the same time. :D
That is funny chit the Unchained, had to be one heck of a site !!! BTW, very cool pix !

[Placecraft Dragstar]

If it was such a good place why did it not happen then?
Some funny reading on scream and fly top of page 6
http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99852&page=6&highlight=Allendale
Columbiaville MI is wanting it to come back to there town, alot nicer place to run.
http://pictures.khbeck.com/racing/1988-0600-14.jpg

[Goad]

I know of a piece of land here....in newberry springs.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=34.919948,-116.604466&spn=0.010099,0.01605&t=h&z=16&om=1
My grandfather bought this land in the early 70s to farm alphalpha and struck a gold mine...his cut was so pure they were farming it for santa anita's race horses.....on a piece of land he wasnt using he ended up putting a double wide on the bluff and cutting a lake and making it a family get away...the family stories of this place are priceless.
the lake is already cut out....just needs to be lined with clay and filled....i dont know how the county handles water rights now, but my grandfather owned the rights to pump striaght out of the mojave river water tables. only down side is you gotta pay the electric bill for the pump...the proceeding owner shut off the pump upon recieving his first bill and the lake has been dry since the early 80s. The only problem i see is wind....its in a commonly windy area....which in my opinion makes is an undesirable location.
I have kicked around the same ideas of making a race lake with full amenities, but its out of my scope of my capabilities, but would love to see it happen and wouldnt mind being a part of making it happen.

[Unchained]

Columbiaville would no doubt be the best place in Mi to run.
I went there several years in a row in the early 80s.
It was incredible good racing. Two or three day event with racers coming all the way from Ca to run there. Gordon Paggett's was one of the fastest TFH teams.
That was the first time I saw a TFH carry the left sponson for about 1/2 the track. :eek: I thought...... "that dude has balls-o-plenty !! :eek:
I talked to a seasoned racer who was there every year and I asked him why the races stopped there. He told me that they had to pay off every government official and his brother to be able to put on the race at that site. So money killed it as usual.

[DetroitJim]

There is no way Columbiaville will happen. There are mega dollar houses all along the old course, the ramps are broken down and overgrown with trees. I was just there last summer.
What killed it for the most part was the lawsuit from when Alex Hiller in the "Hairy Canary" went out of control into the crowd. That boat is why the rule came out banning blown v bottom jets. The lawsuit is why the Michigan Drag boat association went under.
DJ

[sanger455]

mark i wish yu all the luck
we are tring to do the same thing in hamilton ohio on the great miami river
getting the money is one thing getting the support is like pulling teeth
good luck
steve

[Placecraft Dragstar]

There is no way Columbiaville will happen. There are mega dollar houses all along the old course, the ramps are broken down and overgrown with trees. I was just there last summer.
What killed it for the most part was the lawsuit from when Alex Hiller in the "Hairy Canary" went out of control into the crowd. That boat is why the rule came out banning blown v bottom jets. The lawsuit is why the Michigan Drag boat association went under.
DJ
Well the president of MHB was talking to them last summer and the officials of colubiaville told him that they would have the races there again if someone wanted to put up the money to have them. Take it for what its worth, just telling you what he was told.

[sleekcrafter]

We have gravel pits dotting the greater Chicago area, most are full of water, and look like a skiers paradice. There are some that could even be considered usable for drag boat racing. I could'nt image the hoops to jump thru to make that happen.:idea:

[widowmaker]

I know of a piece of land here....in newberry springs.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=34.919948,-116.604466&spn=0.010099,0.01605&t=h&z=16&om=1
My grandfather bought this land in the early 70s to farm alphalpha and struck a gold mine...his cut was so pure they were farming it for santa anita's race horses.....on a piece of land he wasnt using he ended up putting a double wide on the bluff and cutting a lake and making it a family get away...the family stories of this place are priceless.
the lake is already cut out....just needs to be lined with clay and filled....i dont know how the county handles water rights now, but my grandfather owned the rights to pump striaght out of the mojave river water tables. only down side is you gotta pay the electric bill for the pump...the proceeding owner shut off the pump upon recieving his first bill and the lake has been dry since the early 80s. The only problem i see is wind....its in a commonly windy area....which in my opinion makes is an undesirable location.
I have kicked around the same ideas of making a race lake with full amenities, but its out of my scope of my capabilities, but would love to see it happen and wouldnt mind being a part of making it happen.
I'm all for it!